Hugo Otopalik was perhaps the first great collegiate wrestler to become a great wrestling coach. He was the 175-pound Western Conference champion for Nebraska, under Dr. Raymond G. Clapp, in 1916 and 1917, and also starred in the backfield of the Cornhuskers' first football powers.

Otopalik became director of athletics at Kearney State in Nebraska in 1918 and joined the staff of Iowa State in 1920.

He had not planned to become a coach, but when Charles Mayser resigned in 1923, Otopalik agreed to "handle" the wrestling team until a replacement could be found. He continued to "handle" the team for 29 years, developing many individual national champions.

His 1933 Cyclones were recognized as co-champions of the NCAA tournament with Oklahoma State. Over the years, his teams compiled a dual meet record of 160 victories, 66 losses and five ties, and won seven team championships in the Big Eight Conference.

In 1932, Otopalik coached the United States Olympic team, which won three gold medals and was acclaimed as the championship team. Four years earlier, he had served as host to the first National Collegiate tournament, organized by his former coach, Dr. Clapp.

Otopalik was the first secretary of the National Wrestling Coaches Association, from 1932 to '36, and played an active role in National AAU wrestling throughout the years. He was vice president of the International Wrestling Federation in 1952.

He held the rank of first sergeant during World War I and served with the Red Cross in the European theater during World War II.

As a coach of great stature through long years of service to the sport of wrestling, Hugo M. Otopalik is honored as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.